"This made Peter say, Lord to whom shall we go? being full of themselves, hearken too much to "themselves, to hear God; they reafon upon "every Thing, and do all by Rules and Princi ples of human Wisdom and Prudence; which "would be much better done thro' Simplicity, " and a Docility to the Teaching of God's Spirit. «Such as these appear to have more Goodness <<< than others; and they have in a good Degree;' « but then it is a mixed Goodness; they are great "and big in themselves, and value themselves in Proportion to their Capacity and Reason; they "are always fway'd by their own Counsel, and "ftrong in their own Eyes and Opinion. O my “God, I thank thee with Jefus Christ, that thou " hideft these Secrets from the Wife and Prudent "in their own Eyes, but revealeft them with "Pleasure to weak and humble Souls! 'Tis only "Children thou art familiar with; Children in "Malice, and every other Vice; but behaveft to"wards others in their own Way: They will " have Knowledge, and other fplendid Virtues ; "thou giveft them fhining Parts, and makest "them a fort of Heroes; but this is not the best "Portion; there is fomething more hidden for thy dear Children; they lean, as John the be"loved Disciple did, upon thy Bosom." If these Arguments, drawn from a fenfible Experience and Feeling of God's Operation in the Soul, convince not the Reader; if he be not one of those who think to have eternal Life by the Scriptures, yet will not come to Chrift, that they may have Life; he would do well to examine and fee, if he is not in the State the Author himfelf once was in; seeking for God without, and never think to find him within." I tried, fays he, "I "by collecting in my Mind all the wonderful "Works of Nature, to frame an Idea of thy "Grandeur; I fought thee among thy Creatures, "and did not think of finding thee in my own "Heart-where thou art never absent. Confider "these Things, my Soul, and shut the Doors of thy fenfual Defires, that thou mayst hear what "God the Lord fpeaks; and with the Prophet "Samuel fay, Speak Lord, for thy Servant "beareth. Let not Mofes, nor any of the Pro phets, fpeak; but do thou rather speak, O "Lord God, the Infpirer and Enlightener of all "the Prophets! for thou alone, without them, "canft perfectly inftruct me; but they without "thee can profit nothing. They found forth "Words, but cannot give Spirit; they fpeak well, "but if thou be filent, they inflame not the "Heart; they teach the Letter, but thou openest "the Sense; they bring forth Mysteries, but thou "unlockeft the Meaning of them; they declare "thy Commandments, thou helpeft us to fulfil "them; they fhew the Way, thou givest Strength "to walk in it; they act outwardly upon us, but "thou enlightens and inftructs the Heart; they water, but thou giveft the Increase; they strike "the Ear with Words, thou giveft Understanding (8 to the Heart." Thus, my dear Fellow-mortals, I would hope by this Time you are all fenfible that you have a Portion of Grace or Light, which has manifested Sin and Folly to you fometimes in the Cool of the Day, when you have been a little fequefter'd from your Diverfions; liften then, I beseech you, to its Voice; Voice; it will speak, as I faid before, as never Man did; it will tell you all you have done, and continue to reprove when you do amifs. This is the Voice of that Prophet, which Mofes told the Children of Ifrael would be raised up amongst them: A Prophet fhall the Lord your God raife up unto you, of your Brethren, like unto me, him fball you bear in all Things. And whosoever will not bear this Prophet, he shall be cut off from among the People, Acts iii. 22. Hearken, I beseech you, to his Voice; receive him in his fpiritual Appearance; kifs the Son while he offers his Grace, left he be angry, and cut you off in the great Sin of Unbelief, in his Power to cleanse you from all Unrighteousness. I don't purpose to particularize or confider fingly every Sin the corrupt Nature of Man is liable to; yet as there have feveral Iniquities occurred to me which I have noticed; fo I fhall, as it now prefents to my Understanding, make a brief Obfervation on that black and cruel One of Detraction, efpecially as I have often obferved how many fall into this Mischief inconfiderately, without thinking it of fo cruel and evil a Nature as it really is; this noxious Weed being the Product of moft Countries, I can't forbear putting you in Remembrance how many able Pens have been employed, to eradicate it, by Reasons and Arguments, fufficient abundantly to convince us of its hurtful Nature, and give us a juft Abhorrence of it; as an Injury done to our Neighbour seldom fails to recoil upon our felves at one Time or other; for he that diggeth a Pit shall fall into it, and he that rolleth a Stone, it shall return upon him. And as I 1. have noted, this Vice has been exposed to the World long ago, in its hideous Forms and cruel Confequences, I don't here prefume to think felf capable of painting it in more gloomy and difagreeable Shapes than others have done. my What I would remark is, That it is to be feared many don't perufe carefully the Scriptures, and other Books, on the Subject of Moral, as well as Christian Virtues; or at leaft do not fufficiently confider them; for did we but rightly and juftly reflect on this Precept of Chrift's, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself, One would think it might be fufficient to prevent the Mouth of Envy, Malice, Infamy and Detraction, from ever being open'd; and were there but Room for this Reflection in any Interval of fuch Converfation, how wou'd it filence all Uncharitablenefs! Chrift mentions our Love to God in the first Place, and in the fuperlative Degree; and in the next, Love (or Charity) to our Neighbour, as the two (most material) Commandments (or Points) on which depends the Law and the Prophets. And he has left us this Injunction, which is ftiled the golden Rule, and ought to be an inviolable One, Whatfoever ye would that Men fhould do unto you, do you even the fame to them. And on another Occafion adds he, A new Commandment 1 give unto you, that ye Love `one another. And the Apostle Paul recommends to the Romans the accomplishing this Commandment în thefe Words, Owe no Man any Thing, but to love one another; Love worketh no Ill to his Neighbour; therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law. And after enumerating the Laws of the fecond Table, he |